My primary goal is to get strong but also big for rugby - so ideally functional, explosive muscle. I’ve been doing a basic linear 5x5 workout for about a year now (probably too long I know) and I’ve hit a plateau so I’m looking to change it up.
Texas Method or Bill Starr’s 5x5 look like the kind of thing I should progress on to and I like the look of them but I’m having difficulty choosing which would be best for me. Texas Method incorporates cleans (important for rugby) as well as deadlift and also alternates between bench press and overhead pressing. However, I like the idea of ramping because I’ve been lifting 5x5 of the same weight for so long!
What I’d like to do is sort of mix the two so that they suit my needs - basically a Texas Method but with ramped sets. I’m hesitant though because there are loads and loads of people who I know will scream at me “DON’T MESS WITH THE WORKOUT” but surely these workouts aren’t perfect formulas - these guys came up with them on their own. So is there room for me to play with it to suit what I want?
I know its not what you had mentioned but have you ever heard of West side for Skinny Bastards?. Awesome mix of Powerlifting, Speed and conditioning work. Great for a off season athlete looking to get stronger.
[quote]Reed wrote:
I know its not what you had mentioned but have you ever heard of West side for Skinny Bastards?. Awesome mix of Powerlifting, Speed and conditioning work. Great for a off season athlete looking to get stronger.[/quote]
Yes, this would be much better than a 5x5 program.
As an athlete, there are a LOT of other things you have to train besides lifting.
Sounds like you were doing a Starr 5x5 but without the progression. The systematic progression is the key, no matter what program you follow. I have been lifting for 20 years and am doing a Bill Starr 5x5 workout program for the first time and getting phenomenal gains. You would think this is weird because such a program is generally considered for beginners.
Well I have been training incorrectly for 20 years (Weider-influenced “All you!” type training) and incorrectly diagnosed my 15 year plateau as a result of genetics, ignoring the importance of keeping track of weights and increasing them on some sort of schedule, then backing off when plateaus occur and cycling back up again.
After 3 cycles of Starr, I am ready to move on to a new routine, and am eyeing the Texas Method since I used to dabble in powerlifting years ago as wel as Olympic lifting and want to build back up a foundation to maybe get back in the game. Feels good to finally start getting big and jacked even though it is about 15 years delayed.
Yeah I’ve heard of West Side and I’ve also heard that De Franco is the man when it comes to sports strength and conditioning. I’m just reading up on it now.
I’ve given Texas Method a go (albeit a brief one) and it just feels like I’m not doing enough! I don’t have a problem with recovery so it seems like my muscles are spending 6 days a week without any fatigue!
Is it a viable alternative for me to switch to a hypertrophy phase, start lifting 10 reps whilst bumping up the weight in incriments for a few weeks and then swap back to a power phase later on? Will the simple act of changing up my reps bring me some mass gains? And when I go back to 5 reps will I start to see benefits again?
